Those who installed springs

[GhostMercury]

Well when i installed my springs i didn't do my best to align the holes ontop of the strut because i didn't think it would make a difference. But now i have a camber problem (-.5 in the front driver) and (-1.5 in the front passanger)

Does anyone else have a camber problem, or were you more aware of how the holes were lined up. Tomorrow i plan to re-align the 3 holes again. Luckily i bought a alignment deal with tires plus where i get unlimited for 3 years.

 

[arkenzo]

Everytime I've installed springs on different cars, it required an alignment to be done...Everytime...

 

[GhostMercury]

yea but the alignment place wont fix camber

 

[numbnuts22715]

I assume these are Cobb springs also?
Cobb springs arent supposed to require an alignment after install.

 

[aaronc7]

you still should get one to check the toe and stuff

 

[numbnuts22715]

you still should get one to check the toe and stuff

oh definitely, but if something is off that much, id think that the install could have been a little messed up, orsomething along those lines.

 

[Super Unique]

anytime you replace struts you need to align. a tiny amount difference at a bolt, makes a quite large difference at the tire.

 

[ericrapp]

Springs may not be aligned in the hats. Sometimes there is a detent or also a high point in the winding that should be rotated to the outside of car. if all else fails after reinstalling jump up and down on the high side fender!just kddng When you reinstall , just for fun swap left to right. or measure the height of springs uninstalled side to side. good luck

 

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

I assume these are Cobb springs also?
Cobb springs arent supposed to require an alignment after install.

Where did you hear that? It does not require purchasing additional parts to get the alignment within spec. Specifically the rear camber, which requires replacement parts for springs that have a greater drop.

 

[smoknspeed3]

Yes, they can adjust the camber on the front and back to a small extent during the alinement. I don't think the front dampers can be placed in more then one way. I know when I replaced mine I had to turn the triangle until it lined up. And I could only find one position that the holes actually lined up. I have installed after market kits on previous cars and the top plate of the strut had ways to adjust the positioning of the strut. I don't see any differences in the positioning on the stock triangle. The biggest reason you get the car checked after the spring install is to check the camber. When the car gets lowered it will automatically increase the camber, it's the only way the tire can move to lower the car. I could be wrong, but this is what I learned in lower the last three cars I have owned. I wouldn't think you need to get the car checked. But it wouldn't hurt anything either.

 

[GhostMercury]

they are telling me you can't adjust the camber stock. at all

 

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

they are telling me you can't adjust the camber stock. at all

bulls***. The rear camber cannot be adjusted. The front has slop in the bolts at the top of the tower. It isn't pretty or precise, but it can be done.

 

[ericrapp]

Just rec'd Cobb springs they most certainly can be installed incorrectly!

 

[Eracer]

Sounds like you installed one or more of the springs wrong because you have so much variation side to side. I would guess one of the springs is not seated properly. There is a high spot on the spring seat and that must be butted up against the end of the last wind in the coil. Any time a vehicle is lowered the alignment should be checked no exceptions. with the Cobb springs it is possible to to retain factory spec alignment due to the 1" drop without a camber kit (shorter upper arm) for the rear and the fronts have enough adjustment. When you drop a car the toe can also change. Improper toe will kill a tire much faster the improper camber. In effect with a poor toe setting you are dragging the tire across the pavement. Also there is some camber adjustment on the rear! We are not talking Ford I beam here! Just look at the lower control arm in-board bolt you will see the graduation markings for adjustment. A lower drop would require replacing the upper arm with a shorter one to still have enough range to maintain factory spec with the lower adjustment bolts.

 

[ericrapp]

E have you adjusted your rear camber? and to what degree if so? As long as the toe and caster stay the same or very close as i suspect they will, for me a Little more negative camber is ok by me After install I will have it aligned. Any one have a set up they would like to share for the spirited driving style!

 

[Eracer]

E have you adjusted your rear camber? and to what degree if so? As long as the toe and caster stay the same or very close as i suspect they will, for me a Little more negative camber is ok by me After install I will have it aligned. Any one have a set up they would like to share for the spirited driving style!

Not yet I am deciding if I want to go with springs or adj coil overs. I have been researching some possible alignment setups for an aggressive street setup but nothing definitive yet. Spoke with one of Cobb engineers and he was suppose to get back to me with some ideas but since their customer service as of late sucks I get no reply to my numerous requests. I have been looking at some of the SCCA sites also but it's not a very popular track car as of yet so not a huge amount info available. I would say if you drive aggressive that it would be OK to put in as much camber as the factory setup would accommodate. I hear it's somewhat limited. I am still learning this car and how it reacts to small changes (first front wheel drive in 27 yrs of driving) but on my Subaru's and Mazdaspeed MX5 I have used 1.5 to 2.2 degrees camber in the rear with no wear issues. I have run more than that in the front at times. I would say somewhere in the middle would be a good start if the factory setup has that kind of range will find out soon. Alignment really depends on what you are trying to accomplish and you driving style what works for me you might hate. I like to be able to induce a little over steer so the car rotates easy but since FW drive is so new to me I will be shooting for as neutral a setup as I can get for now. This also does not take into account swaybars (OEM or aftermarket and settings) I will be sharing my setup when I get it all sorted out.

 

[ericrapp]

Thanks, I decided after alot of thinking to just do springs and bars. That will settle the car quicker,reduce some float at speed, and get rid of understeer bringing it a neutral steering. That is probably all the fun I will need with the bit wider and alot softer tires! Thanks